Tennis court marker



De 18, 1934. w. 1.. NOTTINGHAM TENN'IS COURT MARKER Filed Jan. 4, 1954Patented Dec. 18, 19 34 This invention relates-tomarking devices andmore particularly .to a marker for use in mark ing a straightylineion:planesurfacesfor. the purpose of designating the boundariesofplayingcourts orfieldalsuch as tennis, baseball or other games.fi. ff- .1" "1-1i j. :1 An object of "this :invention-.-is to provide. a

marker wherein adry marking means in the form of a powder or the like,such as lime. may; be used; and spread evenly in a straight line .alongthe surface of the:ground,; -the marker also ineluding means toguide thedevice in a straight line alo'ngthe ground. 1 Another; objectof thisinvention is to provide a. marker .of-this character wherein the guidemeansjalsoserves as areleasing member-forpermittingathe discharge of thepowder on the ground 1 asthe; device. is moved thereover and forchecking or cuttingoff the supply of powder when the guide. means ismoved into inoperative position. f Thejaab ove and various other.objects and ad- .vantages of this invention willlinv part be describedancl in partunderstood from the following detailed description of thepresent preferred embodiment, the. same being illustrated in theaccompanying' drawing wherein r+ Figure 1 is a detail side elevationpartly broken away and partly in vertical section of a deviceconstructed in accordance with the embodiment of this invention, showingthe device in operativeposition.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section showing the devicein inoperative position.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan of the device.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral designatesgenerally a hopper or receiver which is adapted to contain a powder tobe applied to a plane surface such as the surface of the ground and ispreferably a white powder such as lime or the like. The receiver 10 hasa top 11 and a closure 12 hinged, as at 13, and the closure 12 is heldin closed position by means of a hook 14. A handle structure 15 issecured to the receiver 10 and extends upwardly therefrom and is of asuitable length so that the device may be moved over the surface of theground. Preferably the receiver or hopper 10 is substantially V-shapedin vertical section with the divergent end lowermost and the divergentend of the hopper 10 is of arcuate construction, as at 16, the purposefor I will be hereinafter; described. shaft ,or

axle 17 extends throughthe lower portion of the hopper or receiver, lo-and. wheels-18 are 1 secured to i th sh 17 omo p e sidesi. r cei andaeadaptedtoro a et iS a eo s a t 1.7- e The h ft- .1711 1% securedt er wt the hopper or; receiver: ;101 an. agitator generallydess ted' @5 19 mms ueianlu t i o b desfin wh h are cured. oe-shaft ra e and the presentinstance these; blades ZO- rarev in the form of substantially U-shapedmembers=radially carried bythe shaft 1.7. :Sothat the powder within thee ei e 0 .e a ta ed at. the ov r or discharge end .=of the receiyer. 10.I, The receiver h s. avdischarge, opening 2,1;in the lower or Tconvergent -end- .thereo. and .a screen or sifting e b 2 1 di o ed; W D.1 8 Own n 1,. so as to sift the-.material which-is being dischargeddischargfiiopninam h -nqt per it any lumpy material to pass through theopening The axle; 17- is disposed on the axis of, the

curvature ---1 6; and-a curved closure 7 member or la e 3 i abl ens esrl we dbf the r c iv r-1.0 nd: -is. .v d wi h. un a vcxtending arms-2,4which are J'Qurnaled .onthe. shaft 7..:th.e a ms 2e b nsadis q d thtbuts de, 9f the hopper 10 and intermediate the side wall of the hopper10 and a wheel 18. The arms 24 permit rocking movement of the closureplate 23 relative to the discharge opening 21. This plate 23 has adischarge opening 25 therethrough and preferably a gate or closureadjusting member 26 is carried in a recessed portion 27 of the plate 23and is shiftable in a manner to constrict the discharge opening 25 ofthe plate 23. A bolt 28 is carried by the plate 26 and is disposedthrough a slot 29 in the offset portion 27 and holds the plate 26 in itsadjusted position so as to regulate the quantity of powder beingdischarged through the openings 21 and 25 when the opening 25 registerswith the opening 21. An elongated guide member 30 is secured to one endof the plate 23 and is adapted to, when in inoperative position, engageagainst the front side of the receiver 10 and to be held in thisposition by means of spring clips 31. A pair of stop pins 32 are carriedby the hopper or receiver won the rear side thereof for engagement withthe rear edge of the closure 23 when the closure 23 isswung into openposition. i

In the use and operation of this device, the desired material of anysuitable color is placed in the hopper or receiver 10 by opening theclosure 12, and when the receiver 10 has been filled, the

. ing 25 registering with the opening 21. In this position, the lever 30will be gravitatingly held in a position substantially parallel with thesurface of the ground and will project forwardly of the device in amanner whereby the person grasping the handle structure 15 can guide thedevice with the wheels 18 straddling a string or slightly obscure line.When the desired mark has been made, the lever or guide member 30 can beswung upwardly or, if desired, the entire receiver 10 and the handlewardly on the axle or shaft 17 so as to bring the spring clips 31 intoengagement with the lever or guide member 30. When the lever 301sengaged with the spring clips 31, the plate 23 is in closed positionwith the discharge opening 25 therethrough out of register with thedischarge opening 21 in the hopper or receiver 1 0.

, It is, of'course, understood that various changes and modificationsmay be made in the details of construction and design of the abovespecifically described embodiment of this invention without departingfromthe spirit'thereof, such changes and'modifications' being restrictedonly by the scope of the following claims. 1

What is claimed is:--

1. A marker as set forth comprising a hopper having a discharge openingin the bottom thereof, a shaft journaled in the hopper adjacent thelower end, wheels on said shaft, a closure engaging the hopper atthebottom thereof, means for mounting the closure for movement to openor close said'discharge opening, andmeans carried by said closure'forholding the closure in closed or open position,-said latter means whenthe closure is in open position projecting forwardly of the hopper andconstituting'a guide means. I

2. Amarker' as set-"forth comprising a hopper, a handle secured to thehopper and extending upwardly therefrompsaid hopper having a dischargeopening in the bottom thereof, wheels rotatably supported by the hopper,saidhopper havstructure 15 may be rocked for-.

member secured to said closure, and

ing a curved lower portion, an arcuate closure, means for supportingsaid closure for movement relative to said discharge opening, and acombined closure operating member and guide member secured to saidclosure, said member gravitatingly holding the closure in openedposition and extending forwardly of the hopper when the closure is inopened position and disposed substantially parallel to the surface overwhich the hopper is moving.

3. A marker as set forth comprising a. hopper, a handle structuresecured to the hopper and extending upwardly therefrom, said hopperhaving a discharge opening in the bottom thereof, said bottom beingarcuate in configuration, wheels rotatably carried by said hopper, anagitating means disposed within the hopper, an arcuate closure, meansfor swingably supporting said closure for movement relative to saiddischarge opening, a combined closure operating member and guidemeans-for holding said combined member in inoperative position, saidcombined memberwhen in operative position holding the closure in closedposition and when in open position gravitatingly' holding the closure inopen position and extending forwardly of thehopp'er and in a planesubstantially parallel to the'surfa'ce over whichthe hopper is beingmoved. I

4. A marker as set forth comprising a'hopper having a discharge openingin the bottom thereof, said bottom being of arcuate configuration, ashaft journaled in the hopper adjacent the bottom thereof, an agitatingmeans carried'by said shaft for agitating a powdered marking meansdisposed within the hopper, a screen disposed aoross'the dischargeopening, an arcuate closure plate having a discharge opening engagingthe arcuate bottom of the hopper, means engaging the shaft forsupporting said plate for movement into either open or closed position,a guide member secured to the closureplate and projecting forwardly ofthe hopper when the closure is in passing through the discharge opening.

WILLIAM L. NOTTINGHAM.

